


Rising Moon

by Ars3nicCatnip



Category: Original Work
Genre: Alternate Universe, F/M, Love Letters, Love at First Sight, Medical, Medicine, Original Fiction, Original Universe, War
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-04-17
Updated: 2013-04-17
Packaged: 2017-12-08 19:22:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,723
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/765083
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ars3nicCatnip/pseuds/Ars3nicCatnip
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Adelaide Rye is a young girl without a purpose. To fulfill the emptiness in her life, she decides to join the military in the form of a camp medic. She quickly learns that decisions are much more crucial here than they have ever been  anywhere else. Things seem quite drab and down- until she meets a new individual with eyes like the sky.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rising Moon

**Author's Note:**

> This is a VERY rough work. I have not edited or looked over it. I am in the process of writing the entire 'book' before going back to edit everything. What I post here will be the rough drafts of all chapters.

Diary Entry no. 1 Location: nearing warfront Date: January 3rd 3097  
Today is the day the rest of my life begins. I’ve been training for this moment for as long as I can remember. The way of a healer is a conflicted one, full of harsh choices yet supplying a smile at the sight of a patient opening their eyes once again. Of course, I haven’t really experienced any of this yet; just heard stories from the others that I’m traveling with. Where I’m going won’t be safe, in fact, quite the opposite. See, there’s a war going on and I’m headed to the front lines. No, I’m not to fight the external enemy, but the internal; death. I’ve heard few things about the war zone. It will be very cold, and there will be little food. I don’t REALLY mind that... This was the only job available in my failing country and I’d be an idiot not to have accepted it. Being only seventeen, it will be a difficult transition, going from a somewhat comfortable life to one of endless struggle. I’m prepared though, and It’s going to be an unforgettable experience, I feel. 

The date is January third and I’ve arrived at camp. Damn, they weren’t lying about it being cold. I really hope this was a good choice… I fucking hate the cold. I climbed from the rickety old automobile I’d come in and slung my bag over my shoulder, following the other women to the medical tent. Ah, it looked a little warmer inside. A small fireplace had been constructed of metal in the middle of the tent, throwing off a considerable amount of heat. I immediately was drawn nearer to it, valuing the precious warmth.  
“Adelaide,” The voice of Thalia sternly beckoned, brown eyes staring in my direction. She was one of the other healers, and a much older one at that.  
“Eh?” I replied, turning away from the fire to meet her gaze.  
“Get away from that and come stand with the others. You don’t have any more of a privilege than they do,” She grumbled, gesturing to the group before her. There were 4 other healers, not including Thalia and myself.  
“My bad ma’am,” I replied, a tad embarrassed. I would have loved to thrown back a different remark, but what was the point in starting off with bad relationships? I returned to the others, who were getting talked to by the quartermaster it seemed. He was going on about where everything was and such, along with where we would be sleeping. Bah, all boring stuff. My eyes drifted, moving from face to face. I was most definitely the youngest of all of the new healers. All the others looked to be middle aged with the exception of a dark haired girl that may have been in her early twenties. Thalia was definitely the oldest, for her face was weathered and wrinkled with age.  
“Understand?” The Quartermaster’s voice suddenly grew louder. I looked up, slightly startled and frowned when I realized he was glaring at me. I nodded slowly, wincing a bit from shame. Jeez, I really wasn’t making the best impression. I had to shape up, starting now. The group was dismissed and I followed them out of the tent. We apparently had tents which we shared with one other person. They were pre-assigned to my disdain. Hopefully I wouldn’t be stuck sharing with Thalia… I could already tell that she thought I was irresponsible and childish. I am definitely none of either… alright, maybe a little.  
I stopped in front of the tent marked with my last name. I felt a presence by my side and turned to see. It was the dark haired girl from earlier. Her black irises moved to meet mine and she smiled a bit.  
“Ah, you must be my roommate. I’m Rosaline,” She said. Her voice was kind of interesting- She had an odd accent and spoke in a near whisper. She must not have grown up in the same country.  
“Adelaide, but you can call me Adde for short,” I replied, returning the smile.  
“Interesting name, I like it.” She responded brightly. “Why don’t we go inside? I believe it’s beginning to snow,” She reached out and lifted back the tent flap, entering. I followed her inside, having to crouch down a little to keep from hitting my head. The interior of our dwelling was nice enough; there were two mattress-like beds on either sides of the tent along with identical dressers. One small table sat in the back of the room, and yep- that was all the furniture. There wasn’t much room anyway; the space inside was about 12 feet by 8. Eh, well we wouldn’t be spending much time in here anyway.  
“Were we supposed to go back to the med tent after putting stuff away?” I asked, dropping my bag onto the bed taking up the right side of the room.  
“Yes, there might be patients already,” Rosaline said, emptying the contents of her suitcase into one of the dressers. I copied the action, finishing in a matter of minutes. It was much less than organized.  
“Hey Rosaline,” I began, leaning against the piece of furniture in front of me. “I can’t help but notice you’re kinda young too. Exactly how old are you?” I asked.  
“Oh, I’m twenty. I was surprised when I found out that you were one of the healers. You can’t be more than sixteen?” She looked in my direction with a questioning gaze.  
“Seventeen actually,” I replied, lip sticking out a little bit. I couldn’t have looked too childlike! I always believed that I appeared older than I was…  
“Oh my, still very young. Well, congratulations on being so brave as to come here! Now we should head back. They will be giving out uniforms for us to change into, I hear,” Rosaline explained, going towards the door.  
“Gotcha,” I replied, following her out. Gee, she always spoke so formally. I might have a hard time sounding intelligent to her, the way I talk. We arrived back at the medical tent in no time at all. Our housing was quite close to it, actually. Not sure if that’s gonna be a good thing or a bad thing. I’d rather be able to sleep without hearing any cries of agony.  
Lo and behold, uniforms were being handed out to each healer. They were off white, button down and stopping right at the knee with a little red cross over the heart. The sleeves were long but could easily be rolled up. It was advised that we wear leggings with them, for it was cold. Gee! Thanks for the heads up!  
We were also informed that the troops would be arriving soon. They had to stock up in camp for a day or two- then it was off to the trenches. That would be kinda interesting. Hopefully we wouldn’t interact with them too much. I’ve heard lots of stories about men who were especially desperate for any kind of attention after being away from women for so long. Eugh. I don’t even want to think about that. I returned to my own tent to change before going back. The uniform fit quite snugly. Bah, I looked like a stereotypical nurse. Oh well, there wasn’t much I could do. Not like I was going to complain about clothing! Everyone else had worn leggings with theirs, along with me. Good, it was reassuring to know that all of the healers used their heads…  
We waited in the med tent for a while before hearing the sound of footsteps outside, and a lot of them at that. Rosaline and I were the first to race to the doors to peek outside. Holy shit- that was a lot of guys. Their uniforms were the color of the night sky, bordered with cloth the tone of the bright golden glow of the sun. Only then could I really realize the size of the camp. Many different carts and such were around, all holding weapons, uniforms, and a huge stock of food. There would be new shipment arrivals coming in daily. Also taking up a huge amount of space were thousands of tents, but most would go unused after tonight. I looked amongst the soldiers’ faces and found myself growing saddened. They weren’t even men; most seemed to just be boys, hardly older than myself. The drafting age was eighteen and by the looks of it, the younger ones must have been a lot more eager to join the military. Their faces held looks of excitement and eagerness. The older men were much less enthusiastic. Rosaline and I exchanged a glance before I returned my gaze to the crowd. It was then that I saw those eyes.  
They were a color with the richness of turquoise; a blue so intense that I didn’t know it was possible to be held within the irises of a human. I just had to stare a moment, in a bit of a trance. I froze when those blue eyes moved to gaze into mine. The boy smiled slightly. He had crooked lips and the corners of his mouth were slightly curved, making them dark. He had light hair, but it was hard to tell the exact color of it. It could have been either light brown or even slightly red. I didn’t hold the gaze for long. I had to drop my eyes out of shyness. He continued to look for a moment before turning straight ahead, as orders were being given. I retreated to the interior of the med tent.  
“Rosaline, did you see that boy?” I found myself asking. She looked towards me, raising a dark eyebrow.  
“There were lots of them… do you mean one in particular?” She questioned, chuckling a bit.  
“Agh, shut your face. But yes, there was this one with eyes like… Well Jesus, I don’t even know. Like the sky or something… So blue that you’d think they weren’t real,” I started, tugging on my cheeks with my fingertips in exasperation. I wish I was good at describing shit. I opened my mouth to continue, but I was cut off.  
“We’ve only been here a few hours and you’ve already found a boy you fancy? Oh that’s amazing,” Rosaline laughed, patting my shoulder. “If I were you, I’d forget about the boy with eyes like the sky. He might not come back, I’m afraid,” She suddenly grew much more serious. “Trench warfare is unforgiving, Adelaide. More than half the men you see outside today will be dead by the end of the battle. Its winter- and I’ve been chatting with the quartermaster. Food rations will be less than satisfactory at this base. I hate to say it but we’ve all been given the short end of the stick this time. Even us,” She explained, voice hushing as she spoke. I nodded gravely when she finished, unable to find any words to respond with. What a great first day; I’ve basically been told that all of us might freeze, or go hungry at that. I sighed, leaning against one of the wooden beams used to hold up the tent. I wrapped my arms around myself in an attempt to keep warm. The sound of the wind filled the tent, a low mournful howl. The chuckles and conversations of the other healers sufficed as background noise, somewhat cheerful at least. Rosaline looked up, noticing my mood change.  
“Hey, don’t look so down. It’ll be okay,” She tried to reassure me, but she’d said enough to dishearten anyone.  
“I’m fine, really,” I replied, forcing a smile to try and show her that I really was. It seemed to work well enough, cause she left me alone after that. It wasn’t our turn to stay the night in the med tent, so we headed out to receive our portions and to turn in. There were soldiers all about the camp, carrying uniforms, polishing guns, stocking up bags- just a bunch of hustle and bustle. It was difficult making our way to the cart that was stocked up on food. We each handed the man our ration cards we’d received earlier and were given a biscuit, water, a bit of cheese, and a few sliced of baked potato. I stared at the meal skeptically for a few moments before realizing that this is what I’d have to live off of for the next few months. Well, I had wanted to drop a few pounds… but not in this fashion! No use in complaining. Rosaline didn’t even flinch when she saw how small the meal was, and I wanted to act the same. We found a place sheltered from the snow where we could have our dinner.  
There were a few soldiers sitting nearby, and one I recognized from earlier. The blue eyed boy. I turned around quickly, wanting to take Rosaline’s advice and forget about him. She nudged me with her elbow.  
“Adde, is that the one you were speaking about earlier? Oh my, you weren’t exaggerating when describing his eyes,” She whispered, grinning like an idiot.  
“Ah, shutup,” I replied, nibbling on the biscuit. It was as hard as a fucking rock. I felt the urge to glance back again and being the idiot that I am, I did. Eep, he was looking right at me. One of the men sitting next to him punched his shoulder and smirked, raising his eyebrows. I looked forwards again quickly, cheeks warming despite the cold. Were they making fun of me now? Agh, of course. I’ve completely made a fool of myself in the time I’ve been here, making eye contact with strangers and running my mouth and…  
“Um, hello,” A low voice said. Oh fuck. He was standing right in front of me, and he just said hello. I cleared my throat, almost choking on the bit of potato in my mouth. Respond!  
“H-hey there,” I stuttered, an awkward smile on my lips. Jeez, his eyes were even prettier up close.  
“I uh, couldn’t help but notice that we keep making eye contact. And I… couldn’t ignore a pretty girl like you,” It was obvious that he’d been told what to say, the way he kept pausing to remember the correct words. “So I wanted to… introduce myself. I’m Finn, and you?” He asked, eyebrows rising a bit in question.  
“Adelaide, but you can uh, call me Adde- If you want,” I replied, smile growing a bit more genuine. Finn’s lips curled upwards a bit after I’d spoken.  
“Adde, huh? I like it,” He sat down across from me. Rosaline stood, patting my shoulder once and winking before retreating to our tent. I blushed lightly, looking back towards the blue eyed boy. “You look… kinda young for a healer,” He commented.  
“I’d say the same thing about you, er- for being a soldier that is. But I’m seventeen, so I guess I am a little bit young,” I answered, still awkward as fuck.  
“I’m eighteen myself, but I’ll be nineteen in a week or so,” Finn stated, brushing a bit of snow from his hair. I was close enough now to tell then tone. It seemed to be light brown, but was tinged red.  
“That kinda bites. You’ll be fighting in a trench on your birthday then,” I pointed out. “Ah, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to sound harsh and whatnot. I bet you’re already aware that it’s gonna suck,” I quickly added. He laughed.  
“Of course. I have an idea of what I’m in for,” He chuckled. “You’re… a little shy of me, aren’t you? I’m sorry for being weird earlier. They told me what to say,” He pointed a thumb behind his shoulder, gesturing to the other soldiers who were sitting by the food truck. They were grinning like children who’d just heard a secret.  
“Not at all, and it’s quite alright.” I replied, trying to sound convincing. I failed miserably.  
“Well, if you’re telling me the truth, then good. I don’t want you to think I’m a weirdo,” Finn squinted a little, acting as if he’d chosen the wrong words. “Ah, I don’t know what I’m saying. Forgive my lack of charm and skill with words. Hell, I’m not even sure why I’m doing this,” He frowned a little. “This sounds really weird, I know, but when I saw you earlier today I… I thought I had to meet you,” He paused, running a hand through his hair. “Cause you seemed different. And now talking to you, I can confirm that I was right,” I wasn’t quite sure what he meant by different, and by the look on his face, neither did he. “I didn’t mean to say it like that. Fuck, I’m stupid- er, sorry. I didn’t mean to curse either-” I had to cut him off there.  
“Finn, I curse like a sailor. Don’t sweat it, and I think you’re a weirdo,” I stated blatantly, smirking a bit. My mother had always scolded me for the language I used. He laughed a little, smiling again.  
“Brilliant, I mean- haha, just brilliant,” He paused, looking to the side. “Sorry If I came on a little strong, I just hadn’t the slightest clue on how to start a conversation. I really wanted to, being that it’s just nice to talk to someone who isn’t a dunderhead every once and a while, y’know?” He looked back up, eyebrows raised in slight relief in the fact that I didn’t find him to be a complete idiot. I decided to change the subject, seeing that his cheeks were quite red, caused by his earlier rambling.  
“So, will this be your first battle?” He came back to his senses at the sound of my voice and straightened his posture, clearing his throat.  
“It will be. I’m not sure whether to be excited or nervous. Maybe a mixture of the two,”  
“I’d be scared out of my mind! Not to dishearten you. Just wouldn’t want to be in the trenches I reckon,” I replied.  
“Not quite sure I want to be there myself,” Finn laughed nervously. “But I am happy to be here, even though it’s cold as anything and I haven’t had a nice meal in months.” It definitely showed; being that his collarbone was prominent. “It’s the only thing I’ve ever done that’s really mattered,” He stated, sighing a little.  
“I can relate. This job here, as a healer, is the first one I’ve ever had. And It hasn’t even started yet! I don’t know what to expect. You have any idea what war is like?” I asked.  
“Besides what I’ve heard from veterans, no. And I like to think that it isn’t as bad as they’ve said it was. Though, now that they’re starting to use guns in place of swords I think it’ll be less… involved.” He searched for a word, finally deciding on what he’d spoken. “But I’ve got the worst feeling about it. Like I won’t return.”  
“Well take care of yourself when you get there,” I replied, reaching out and placing a hand over his and giving it a squeeze. “I don’t want to have to stitch together any wounds received out of the desire to be a hero. Just signing up for hell like this is heroic enough.” Finn’s eyes moved from my hand to my face, seeming as if he were searching for something. I kept a mild expression, bringing my hand back to my body and leaving his by itself. “And don’t tell yourself you won’t come back. Believe a little, hold on to the last thing you’ve got and don’t let go, even when things seem hopeless. Don’t make any unnecessary sacrifice. Just… remember that you’re young and hey, you can do anything at this age, right?” I reasoned. The corner of his mouth rose in a half smile, leaving him without the need to speak. His expression portrayed everything he was feeling at that moment.  
I jumped a bit when a harsh voice began barking out orders to the soldiers that dwelled nearby. I must have been talking with him a while; It was already dark; the only light in the camp emanating from the light poles sprinkling the perimeter and looming above vital structures.  
“I’ve got to go,” Finn said, getting up from the bench. I stood with him. He was a good eight inches taller than me.  
“Finn, don’t forget what I told you,” I reminded, frowning a little. He reached out and took my hands. His were cold and somewhat rough, but comforting.  
“Adde, I just want to thank you. You’ve given me a little hope that I’ll survive this- what lies ahead.” His frown deepened. “Hah. I’ve only just met you, but I don’t want to leave you. Is that odd?” He asked, grasping my hands a bit tighter.  
“Not at all. I’m… not sure I want you to leave either,” I replied, finding it a bit odd that I was able to agree with him without acting like a scared child and beating around the bush to say what I meant.  
“I’m glad,” He sighed. “You know what? Here’s a promise. I’ll come back no matter what, so I can get to know you better, Adelaide. Adelaide…” He paused a moment. It took me a second to realize what he wanted.  
“Adelaide Rye,” I supplied, one side of my lips rising in a half smile.  
“Finnas Moon,” He said. I was a little intrigued with his last name.  
“Your last name’s really Moon?” I asked, eyes squinting a little in amusement.  
“Just like that,” He glanced up towards the sky, eyes focused on the dim orb that hung like a ghost overhead.  
“Well, mr. Moon. I’m going to hold you to that promise,” I told him, having to look up to meet his gaze.  
“You won’t be disappointed,” He replied, smiling warmly. Another harsh yell from the commander brought him back to reality. “I’ll see you again,” He told me, letting go of my hands. He disappeared into the crowd within a second. It was in a moment that he’d come. In a similar moment, he had gone.  
It’s funny how quickly one can become lonely.


End file.
